Underwater forest: Forest found off coast

Underwater forest: Forest found off coast

A primeval underwater forest has been discovered off the coast of Alabama.

According to Live Science, the Bald Cypress forest was buried under ocean sediments, protected in an oxygen-free environment for more than 50,000 years, but was likely uncovered by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The forest contains trees so well-preserved that when they are cut, they still smell like fresh Cypress sap, according to Ben Raines, one of the first divers to explore the underwater forest and the executive director of the nonprofit Weeks Bay Foundation, which researches estuaries.

The area extends at least 0.5 square miles, several miles from the coast off Mobile, Ala. and sit about 60 feet below the surface.

Despite the incredible discovery, researchers have only a few years to explore the area before wood-burrowing marine animals destroy the ancient forest.